Doorcheck



Jam; l5, 1935. A, J, SCHULZ `1,987,913

DOORCHECK Original Filed March 2l, 1930 Patented Jan. 15, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT DFFICE y 1,987,913 DooRcHEcx Application March 21, 1930, Serial No. 437,630 Renewed October 10, 1932 12 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in door checks.

It is the primary object of the invention to provide a novel and improved door check structure in which a neat and simple means of enclosing and winding up the door check chain is provided, such means being under control of the operator to limit to any desired degree the length of chain exposed outside of the case.

In accordance with the objects of this invention it is my desire to make the case for the chain, and the reel upon which the chain-is wound, as small as possible, and to this end I propose to place the reel eccentrically within the case and to provide numerous features of design including a special form of link in the chain to facilitate its close winding uponthe reel.

A further object of the invention having to do with neatness of appearance is the provisionof a special form of keeper in which the disk at the end of the chain is received in such a way as to avoid removal of the finish upon the keeper.

Another object of 'the invention has reference to the simplification of detent means for fixing the position of the reel whereby to relieve the chain of spring tension, 'and also to lock the chain when desired.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a View showing an illustration of a door check embodying this invention.

Figure 2 is a view of the unit thereof containing the reel, the case being broken away in transverse section to expose the reel and the chain wound thereon.

Figure 3 is a view taken in section in the plane indicated at 3-3 in Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a detail view showing in perspective and in mutually spaced relation, the cornponent parts of the reel and detent therefor.

Figure 5 is a detail view taken in section in the plane indicated at 5-5 in Fig. 1.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

The device comprises a keeper unit 6 and an anchorage unit 7. While it is particularly unimportant in the present invention which unit is mounted upon the door and which upon the casing, I have shown the keeper 6 mounted upon the door 8, and the anchorage member 7 mounted on the door casing 9.

The anchorage member comprises a case l0 formed of sheet metal and shouldered at 11 to provide a rectangular base 12 having holes through which the screws 13 may be inserted to mount the member on a door frame or casing.

Fitted within the base 12 is a plate 15 provided, as-shown in Fig. 2, with screw holes registering with the openings in the base. This plate confines a detent slide 16 having thumb pieces 17 at its ends and detent teeth formed upwardly in its face as shown at 18 in Figs. 3 and 4. This slide is slotted at 19 to receive the rivet 20 which passes through the shell 10 and plate 15 to hold the parts together and also serves as an axisupon which the reel 21 rotates. It is particularly to be noted that the rivet 20 is eccentric with reference to the axis of the she11.10,'beng located at one side of a diameter of such shell passing through the opening 22 from which the chain 25 issues. This eccentricity permits the winding of an extra half turn of chain upon the drum or reel 21 within a space which would otherwise be inadequate.

The drum or reel 21 houses a torsion spring 26 which is anchored to the drum and to the plate 15, as shown in Fig. 3. The rearward margin of the drum or reel'is flanged outwardly and provided with axially projecting teeth in the manner of a crown wheel ratchet, the reel being free to rotate when the slide 16 lis in the position shown' in Fig. 3, but adapted for engagement by the teeth 18 of the slide when the slide is in the position in which it appears in Fig. 2.

A strap 2,7 holds the innermost end of the chain to the drum or reel 21. The first link of the chain is disposed iiat upon the periphery of the drum and is preferably curved in substantial conformity therewith, as shown at 28 in Fig. 2. The end of the chain carries the usual button 30 which, in the retracted position of the parts, will normally close the flared opening 22 through which the chain issues from its case. When the detentv slide 16 is manipulated upwardly, as shown in Fig. 3, to permit the vdrum to rotate, the chain may be Withdrawn against the torsion of spring 26 and the button may be inserted into the opening 31 in the keeper unit. The keeperunit is formed integrally of sheet metal having a continuous peripheral iiange at 32 (Fig. 5), a downwardly formed apron 33 leading to the opening 3l, and a slot 34 communicating with such opening to receive the shank 35 of the button 30.

A novel feature kof the keeper unit consists in the provision of upturned iianges 36 at each side of the slot 34. Upon these flangesA rides the annular Viiange 37 on the special button employed in the device. In practice the outwardly The torsion spring 26 is sufficiently strong to,v

draw the chain into the shell 10 whenever the button 30 is released. The spring Will also tend to keep the door 8 closed unless the reel is relieved of spring torsion by manipulation of the detent slide 16. Ordinarily, therefore, the' detent slide will be actuated to engage the teeth of the reel whenever the chain is extended to the desired degree. If desired, thedetent slide-may be locked with the parts in the position shown at' Fig. 1, in which case the device will function as a safety latch for the door to hold it completely closed. i

When the chain is not in use a pressure upwardly on. slide. l6`will releasethe reel, and the chain will be fully retracted into the casing 11 into which it fits with almost no loss of' space by virtue of the eccentricity of the rivet 20 whereby a relatively great length of chain is housed in a relatively small case. When the chain is fully retracted the shank portion of the rivet will be received into the flared opening 22 in the case, and such opening will be closed by the button at the end of the chain.

I claim: i 1. In a door check, the combination of a case member, a slotted base, a. platein said base, a shaft connecting said case and p1atea detent projecting from said base' and slidable with respect to said shaftysaid detent being provided wit-h a. tooth within said case, a reel mounted'on said shaft and provided with peripheral teeth withwhich the toothy of said detent may. beengaged upon manipulation voi?A the detent, and a chainA connected with said reel and adapted to bewound thereon, said reel being provided with a torsion spring acting upon it in a direction tending to wind saidchain upon the reel.

2. A device of the character describedvcomprising a shell formed to provide a slotted base, a detent slide reciprocable transversely in' the slots of Athe base and having a detent portion within said shell, a plate enclosing said slide within said base, a Apivot member connecting said plate and shell,y a reel mounted upon said pivot member and provided with teeth engageable by the .detent portion of said base, a torsion spring housedI Within said reel, and a chain having its end fastened to said reel.

-3. A device of the character described comprising a shell formed to provide a slotted base, a detent slide reciprocabletransversely in the slotsl of the base and having a detent portion within said shell, a plate enclosing said slide within said base, a pivot member connecting said plate and shell,- a reel mounted upon said pivot member and provided with teeth engageable by the detent portion of said base, a torsion spring housed Within said reel, and a chain havingits end fastened tosaid reel, the first link of said chain being curved in conformity with the periphery of said reel. f y

4. A device of the character described comprising a shell formed to provide a slotted base, a detent slide reciprocable transversely in the slots of the base and having a detent portion within said shell, a. plate enclosing said slide within said base, a pivot member connecting said plate and shell, a reel mounted upon said pivot member and provided with teeth engageable by the detent portion of said base, a torsion spring housed within said reel, and a chain having its end fastened to said reel, said pivot member being eccentrically located with reference to said shell, said shell being provided with an opening for said chain, and said pivot mem- 'ber being disposed at one side of a diameter intersecting said opening.

5. In a door check, the combination with a chain and retracting reel to which the chain is operatively connected, of means for operating said reel in a chain retracting direction, and a housing in which said reel is mounted, said reel being 'eccentrically mounted with respect to the centerrof the housing and adapted to receive successive portions of said chain upon chain portions previously Wound on said reel at a graduallyl increasing radial distance from the axis of the reel, and said housing having an apertureA for said chain aording access to the portion of the housing which is eccentrically remote from the axis of said reel, whereby the more remote. portion of the housing receives the portion of the chain most remote from the axis of the reel, and the chain, as wound upon the reel, substantially lls said housing.

6. In a. door check, the combination with a casing provided with an aperture, of a reel provided withmeans at its axis supporting it for rotation eccentrically with reference to said casing in a position to leave the larger side of said casing accessible to said aperture, a chain operable through. the aperture and connected with the reel to be wound thereon, and a spring acting onsaid reel in a. chain winding direction, the eccentricity of said housing being sufficient to receive the portions of said chain last to enter said .housing and wound upon chain portions previously wound-.about said reel.

7.. Inv a door check device, the combination with a casing providedr With an aperture, a flexible connector passing through said aperture, anchorage means including manually separable portions one of Which is carried by the free end of said connector, a reel within the casing to which the iieXi-ble connector is attached, said reel includingi a radial iiange, andspring means acting on said reel in a direction to wind said connectorthereon, of a manually operable detent disposed between said iiange and the casing and adapted positively to lock said reel against rotation in either direction,y said detent and reel having mutually engageable interlocking portionsv l x8. In a door check, the combination with an apertured casing and a flexible connector, of a radially flanged reel rotatably mounted within said casing to which said connector is attached, teeth carried by said reel flange, and a manually operable detent iixed against movement with said reel and movable to and from the path of said teeth, said detent having complementary teeth engageable with the teeth of said reel flange to effect a positive' locking of said reel against movement in either direction.

9'. In a door check, the combination with an apertu-red casing, a flexible connector movable through the aperture of the casing, a reel within the casing to which the connector is attached to be wound thereon, a. detent device permanently mounted within the casing and manually adjustabletherein, and means carried by Said detent device and reel engageable at diametrically opposite points on said reel upon the manipulation of said detent device for locking said reel against rotation in either direction.

10. In a door check, the combination with a casing provided with an aperture and a exible connector passing through the aperture, of a rotor mounted within said casing and comprising integrally a hub to which said connector is attached, a marginal radial flange, and crown teeth at the periphery of said flange, a detent slidable transversely of said casing and provided integrally with teeth complementary to the crown teeth spaced for a distance approximately equal to the diameter of the ange of said rotor and engageable therewith at opposite sides of the rotor to resist rotation of said rotor.

11. In a door check, the combination with a casing having a base, an annular wall and a top, of a iiexible connector, a reel within said casing to which said connector is attached, a detent slidable transversely of said casing and provided with means engageable with and disengageable from said reel, said casing being apertured for said connector and detent, a back plate supporting said detent in operative relation to said reel, and pivot means for said reel extending through said casing and back plate and headed to maintain the parts in assembly.

12. In a door check, the combination with a casing having a base, an annular wall and a top, of a flexible connector, a reel within said casing to which said connector is attached, a detent slidable transversely of said casing and provided with means engageable with and disengageable from said reel, said casing being apertured for said connector and detent, a back plate supporting said detent in operative relation to said reel, and pivot means for said reel extending through said casing and back plate and headed to maintain the parts in assembly, said detent comprising a plate slotted to receive said pivot means While permitting of the required movement of said detent.

ALFRED J. SCHULZ. 

